Questioning the Unquestionable
From time to time in business, an idea emerges that sounds obviously good — so good, in fact, that it becomes accepted wisdom almost immediately. Product managers quickly incorporate it into their assumptions, marketeers let it shape the way they approach the project, and executives quickly incorporate it into their presentation slides so that it ceases to be mere idea and becomes… (drum roll) fact.
Striking Gold
To many companies, the small and medium business (SMB) market represents the golden vein of market opportunity. Compared to the Fortune 1000 with — that’s right, still 1000 companies — SMB is a huge market with 8 million traditional businesses (plus another 32.5 million…
Consultations
Seasoned advice for young companies
Your problem. You don’t need a full consulting engagement, you just need seasoned advice from people who know the industry. Maybe you have a key presentation that needs a second set of eyes, you’re trying to prioritize market opportunities, you’re honing the pitch for a big business deal, or you want outside feedback on your strategy. Where do you turn for the right advice?
How we solve it. Our principals work with your core team in a custom-designed half-day or full-day working session that’s focused on a deliverable, plan, or issue you need to resolve. Just like a consultation with a doctor, it’s a great way to get a quick opinion and insight from trusted advisors.
Who it’s for. The Consultation is especially useful for new innovative companies that need seasoned thinking and advice, rather than formal project work. You can bring up to five people to the Consultation session. But they all need to be prepared to participate — this is a very interactive process.
What they’ve said. Here are some entrepreneurs who have used the Rubicon Consultation:
Rubicon grasped our challenges and opportunities immediately. The feedback from our working session was a great source of inspiration and continues to provide us with tangible guidelines. I’ve worked with many consultants — it’s rare to find such a talented firm that gives so much in just one afternoon packed with insights rooted in integrity and grounded in reality.
Phac LeTuan
CEO and founder: Kinemo International
“Innovative startups need seasoned advice like everyone else. Rubicon drives fast results by tackling tough problems with blunt conversation. Rubicon’s team helps nimble companies take on giants.”
Chris Keene
CEO: ActiveGrid
Location. We can meet at your location, or you can come to our offices in Los Gatos, CA. We’ve also done Consultations by Skype and conference call, although obviously it’s best to meet in person.
Typical Consultation topics:
- Review and tune a critical presentation
- Refine the pitch for an important alliance
- Brainstorm product features and value proposition
- Define a market opportunity
- Get feedback and advice on your strategy
- …or whatever other challenge you’re facing. Just call us we’ll discuss your need. If we can’t help with your issue, we’ll refer you to someone who can.
Logistics. A Consultation costs $5,000 for a half day and $10,000 for a full day. Travel outside Silicon Valley costs extra.
For more information, please fill out the application form below, or call +1 408 395 3910.
Examples of Consultation Services
- We designed a year-long counter-marketing campaign against a larger company that was seeking to take over a market. The campaign included a PR roadshow, presentations used by the sales force, collateral, online marketing using bulletin boards and blogs, enthusiast marketing via user groups, and other guerrilla tactics that we’re not supposed to talk about (nothing illegal or unethical, just tactics that work best when they’re used quietly). The result: stable market share even though our client was heavily outspent by the competitor.
- We helped a video software company evaluate whether to enter a new market segment. We identified which of their 50+ technologies were appropriate given interest and capabilities of the users, what prices users were willing to pay, and what channels were needed. This resulted in a sizing & ROI analysis to help the Board decide if this opportunity was worth pursuing, and how much to invest to make sure it was a profitable business.
- A leading software firm was confused by inconsistency in its successes across Europe. In some countries its share was strong, while in other countries it was having trouble getting traction. We sized the opportunity in each country and identified the barriers to success. In one country it was important to add three key retailers. In another country another distributor was needed. We also helped the company set the right advertising budget, create short-term promotions, and adjust margins according to local conditions.